“We exist to win premierships”. This is the Port Adelaide Football Club’s mantra (along with the recent demand to “make our community proud”).
In 150 years since the club’s foundation on May 12, 1870, such lofty goals have been met by a club that advocates the bar being repeatedly lifted. There also is a Hall of Fame roll call of grand achievements by Port Adelaide players, coaches and administrators.
There is a fair bit of pride for the Port Adelaide faithful to savour from this unrivaled record of success that allowed the SANFL’s oldest club to become the only non-Victorian club to rise from suburbia to the national AFL.
But there has not always been champagne flowing at Port Adelaide. In 1896, the club was on its knees, both financially and football wise after it finished last for the first time. A severe economic depression forced players to leave the club and South Australia to find work in other Australian colonies. A year later, Port Adelaide had its third SAFA premiership – all on the back of restoring pride to the team’s task of winning.
History has repeated in recent years – from the threat of being expelled from the SANFL in 1990 for breaking ranks to chase an AFL licence to the “dark chapter” from 2008-12 when Port Adelaide’s existence in any league was threatened by financial pressure and disappointing results on the field. Pride also was waning in the frustrated fan base that at times struggled with the greater demands to achieve success in the AFL when compared with the SANFL. Their pain was noted with the terraces emptying to be covered by large tarps at Football Park.
Port Adelaide’s rebound since the new era began with new leadership on and off the field at the end of 2012 – with David Koch as chairman and Ken Hinkley and Travis Boak as coach and captain respectively. The revival on the scoreboard and on the balance sheet highlights the “never say die” spirit that made the club a feared opponent for decades.